The Ohio Street – Buffalo River Community is a disconnected set of components lacking economic sustenance. Vacant sites, abandoned rail yards, and neglected infrastructure inhibits connections between surrounding neighborhoods, limits waterfront access, and deters investment. What if a series of urban strategies could establish relationships between these isolated fragments by extending the urban fabric to enable a generative space for a new Waterfront Neighborhood to emerge, and sustain itself? By taking cues from the existing landscape, a framework of architectural components could amplify Ohio Street into a vibrant place to live, work and visit. The resulting urban condition will be a dynamic ecosystem that invites individuals to move freely through the mixed-use environment. Naturally this will happen over time, and at a variety of scales and densities. The result is community approach that flows evenly and enables participation at all levels.
DESIGNCIRCUIT is asking you to participate in defining Buffalo Now. This Thursday, February 21st at 7pm, the Resilience Economy panel discussion will provide a platform for dialog, so that we the citizens might define a marketable economic identity for the Ohio Street – Buffalo River community. In economic times like these, how will we make our city attractive to new business, institutions, and manufacturing innovation that enables growth? How do we amplify our assets to leverage economic generation(s)? Can we really just continue to point the finger to past problems, and ask that “they” build wish-upon-a-star fairy-tale dreams as a marketable future? What are you going to do, and how will you do it?
Thursday night come to the Old 1st Ward Community Center to be a part of deciding how to define and market this community. Build consensus among a wide variety of community leaders and make a difference.
Please see the previously published article on Buffalo Rising: The Resilience Economy
For more information on this Thursday’s event see: www.designcircuit.org
Old First Ward Community Center
62 Republic St Buffalo, NY 14204